The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1925.

Auckland Star, Issue 291, 9 December 1925, Page 6

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1925.

For the cause that lacks assistant; For the wrong that needs resistance, For the future in the distance, And the aoo& *ft»* we can do.

DOMINIONS AND EMPIRE.

Once more the question has been asked in the House of Commons whether the Imperial authorities have yet been definitely informed that the Dominions "propose to ratify the Locarno Pact, unconditionally or otherwise." And once more the Secretary of State for the Dominions has been, compelled to rebuke and repel the curiosity of the House by a polite evasion. It would probably be premature, as Mr. Amery says, to make a statement at the present juncture. But the uncertainty prevailing even in official circles on this question helps to emphasise the need for some more regular and systematic means of communication between the Dominions and the Home authorities on all matters of Imperial interest and importance. We do ■ not suggest that if there had been Dominion delegates or Ministers in London, or even at Locarno, they could have bound the various portions of the Empire that they represented to definite obligations without consulting their Parliaments. But the uncertainty that has arisen through the failure to consult the Dominions fully before or during these negotiations has undoubtedly from the Imperial standpoint vitiated to some extent the Locarno Pact, and made the prospect of its general acceptance or ratification less favourable than might have'been desired. The difficulties that the present situation involves have long been realised at Home as well as in the Dominions. The British Foreign Minister in putting the Locarno~Pact before the House of Commons admitted them quite frankly. It was impossible to confer with the Governments of the Dominions and India before.. the Conference; but they had been kept fully informed of what was being done, and "their freedom of action had been specially safeguarded in the treaty." Sir Austen Chamberlain was careful to ask ' the House of Commons to ratify the treaty as for Britain only, while he explained that the Government would discuss the whole question fully with the Dominions at the next Imperial Conference. When the next Imperial Conference will happen is still a matter for conjecture.' But in any case it is obviously impossible to summon a conference of Dominion representatives whenever any, serious international crisis occurs. For long the Imperial authorities, though they expressed solicitude about the attitude of the Dominions, were not in the habit of affording them opportunities for the discussion of Britain's foreign policy! ' Even at the Imperial Defence Conference of 1909 foreign policy was practically excluded .from the debates. It was not till the Imperial Conference of 1911 that Sir Edward Grey was induced to reveal the secrets of the Foreign Office to the spokesmen of the Dominions. And now at Locarno, as at Lausanne, and many other conferences since the war, decisions have been reached which seriously involve the most vital interests of the Empire, but which the Dominions can only accept or Teject unaltered, unless they are. prepared to take the responsibility of negotiating special treaties on their own account. ~ So far two remedies have been sug-gested-for this unsatisfactory state of things. We had first of all the,; project of an Imperial Council, devised by Mr. Lionel Curtis, which would have compelled the Dominions to surrender their right of internal taxation for Imperial purposes, and which has, Hherefore, rightly fallen into But in Australia just now another scheme is under discussion, which seems likely to produce some positive material benefits. The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth is convinced that \he only possible solution of the' problem is the appointment by the Dominions of representatives to. reside at Home, so that there may ,be "daily consultation in London between, 'responsible Ministers of the British ■ and Dominion Governments as; matters of importance arise." An opportunity, for the proposed innovation will come next year after Sir Joseph. Cook retiree from the post of High Commissioner. It is stated that Mr. Bruce -intends then .to ' delegate the commercial: and, economic functions now discharged by .Sir- Joseph Cook. V to a Commissioner .■ for v Commerce; r while' "purely political affairs will be dealt ] with By a- Minister of"; the Commonwealth; resident .in London." Mr:'Bruce has already made a start in this direction by-creating a \ "foreign affairs" branch in,'his' own Department; and he has appointed a special official to act as "liaison officer'? 'with the British Foreign Office. But more-thanthis is' needed to render his :plan-r effective;, and; it is probable that the appointment of Dominion. Ministere'to reside in London; and act as ■-,- permanent channels of communication with'the Dominions, on foreign ,aff«re • would 'obviate some of the dangerous-political inconveniences to which the Empire is now exposed.